Bush Instructor Qualifications
Level 4 Bush Leader
Scope of Leadership
- This qualification will provide the outdoor recreation sector with individuals who are able to operate independently under indirect supervision, and lead participants in a specific outdoor activity, where the emphasis is on safety, in low technical yet dynamic outdoor environments.
- Graduates of the Bush strand will be able to plan, prepare for, organise and lead introductory bush walking activities.
Learning Outcomes
- Assess and respond to a bushwalking emergency
- Demonstrate personal skills in bushwalking
- Develop a plan for leading an outdoor experience for a group within defined operating scope
- Lead an outdoor activity under indirect supervision within an organisation safety management system
- Review and evaluate leadership of an outdoor recreation experience
Topics Include
- emergency care situation response
- identifying and managing risks
- safety management
- leave no trace principles
- local iwi and hapū, including culturally significant sites such as wahi tapu and land access issues
- interpretive information on natural history, flora and fauna and the uniqueness of the environment in which the adventure activity occurs.
- communicating information, including briefing and debriefing and skill requirements in accordance with organisational requirements
- responsibilities and operating scope of the leader role
- leadership styles and rapport with participants
- participants equipment
- Activity plan including weather, client information, equipment, intentions, and timing
- leadership including managing safety, timeframes, resources and equipment for the activity and responding to participant needs
Qualification Delivery
Self-directed online learning
Teacher-directed online learning
Teacher-directed in-person training
Assessment Tasks
Prepare a plan to lead a group.
Demonstrate leadership skills
Demonstrate personal skills
Review and evaluate leadership
Prerequisites
The following outlines hours and experience that must be completed for the qualification to be awarded. We recommend participants start with all of these conditions met. You will need to provide a plan that clearly shows how you will demonstrate these conditions before the final date of the qualification.
at least 10 days (each day should be at least four hours duration) experience bush walking;
− at least five days additional experience as a co-leader or assistant leader.
Terrain must meet the following parameters:
− single day trips on clearly formed and marked tracks with bridged river crossings or minor unbridged streams;
− walks may extend to the bush line and could extend above the bush line in good weather conditions and in the absence of snow.
Level 5 Bush Instructor
Scope of Leadership
- This qualification will provide the outdoor recreation sector with individuals who are able to operate independently and provide instruction and leadership for participants during specific outdoor activity. The emphasis of this qualification is on developing participants’ competence through safe, sequenced, learning experiences in dynamic outdoor environments.
- Graduates of this qualification are able to work independently and contribute to the daily operation of, and work under, a Safety Management System (SMS).
- Graduates of the Bush strand will also be able to instruct participants in the skills required for a positive bush walking experience through effective planning, delivery and evaluation.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply knowledge of personal safety in bush tramping
- Use appropriate equipment and systems in bush tramping
- Select and use appropriate emergency equipment when responding to an emergency in bush tramping
- Demonstrate environmental responsibility and kaitiakitanga including respect for tikanga and Kawa of local iwi and hapū in bush environments
- Apply an organisation’s safety management system while leading bush activities
- Instruct participants in the skills required for safe educational bush experiences
- Manage a group to safely experience bush activities
- Evaluate bush leadership and review the planned program
Topics Include
- Navigation skills including off-track
- River crossing safety
- Selecting and setting up a campsite
- Managing camp for cooking
- Environmental sustainability and guardianship
- Responding to an emergency
- Selecting and managing personal equipment
- Communication equipment and systems for emergency
- Outdoor safety code
- Pre activity tasks and checks
- Procedures and management techniques for preparing to lead bush activities
- Preparing and checking equipment and a location
- Instructing participants to use bush equipment
- Safety roles for instructors and participants
- Instructing participants to safely use bush equipment
- Facilitation, communication and teaching techniques
- Monitoring and managing needs of participants and participant behaviour
- Cultural awareness
- Minimum impact principles for bush activities
Qualification Delivery
Self-directed online learning
Teacher-directed online learning
Teacher-directed in-person training
Assessment Tasks
Prepare a plan to lead a group.
Demonstrate leadership skills
Demonstrate personal skills
Review and evaluate leadership
Prerequisites
The following outlines hours and experience that must be completed for the qualification to be awarded. We recommend participants start with all of these conditions met. You will need to provide a plan that clearly shows how you will demonstrate these conditions before the final date of the qualification.
at least 40 days tramping experience (each day should be at least six hours duration), which must include at least 20 days experience on multi-day trips and at least 10 days experience instructing, leading or guiding groups. At least 20 of the 40 days experience should be personal days. Instructing experience may include being a co-instructor or assistant instructor. Overnight trips should include both staying in huts and camping.
Terrain must meet the following parameters:
− easy and moderate bush terrain;
− trips can extend above the bush line in easy and moderate terrain and in summer conditions (without snow and no snow forecast). Patches of old snow may exist and can be crossed where no sliding potential exists.
Level 6 Bush Advanced Professional Practice
Scope of Leadership
- This qualification will provide the outdoor recreation sector with individuals who are able to lead, mentor and educate developing leaders, guides and instructors in specific outdoor activities. These individuals can also instruct and/or guide participants in high hazard and/or technically complex outdoor or recreational environments.
- This qualification will further extend the instructional competence of individuals who already hold extensive applied instructing experience in dynamic, multiple-hazard outdoor activities.
- Graduates of this qualification are able to work independently and contribute to the daily operation of, and work under, a Safety Management System (SMS).
- Graduates of the Bush strand will also be able to teach other instructors, guides and leaders how to instruct in bush walking activities.
Learning Outcomes
- Teach and critique leaders and instructors in leading and instructing tramping
- Demonstrate personal advanced tramping skills including above the bush line, navigation and moderate to hard off track terrain and apply advanced weather interpretation and forecasting skills for tramping
- Demonstrate preparing to lead and leading a group above and below the bush line on moderate to hard terrain
- Critique and manage group safety procedures and systems for tramping above and below the bush line in moderate to hard terrain
Topics Include
- Tramping skills advanced craft
- River crossing moderate to difficult terrain
- Advanced navigation above and below the bush line in moderate and hard off-track terrain
- Knowledge of meteorology, whether interpretation and forecasting
- Instructing a group above and below the bush line in moderate to hard rain
- Risk management for leading group above and below the bush line moderate hard rain
- Teaching off-track tramping skills above and below the line
- Social and political issues related to tramping
- Environmental awareness and embedding cultural awareness in practice
- Teaching, coaching critiquing and giving feedback to trainee instructors
- Developing programs including establishing learning outcomes, pre-and post assessment of participants ability
- Establishing learning outcomes
- Scaffolding learning and skills development;
Qualification Delivery
Video-Based Learning Platform https://www.outdoorleadertraining.com/pages/home
Online group teaching and tutorials
Mentor/Tutor Support
Workshop option
Assessment
Develop a training plan
Skills assessment
Leadership demonstration
Managing a emergency scenario
Prerequisites
New Zealand Certificate in Outdoor Leadership (Instruction) (Level 5) (Any Strand) [Ref: 3661].
At least 80 days’ tramping experience (each day should be at least six hours duration), which will include at least 40 days’ experience on multi-day trips, at least 20 personal days and at least 20 days instructing, leading or guiding groups on multi-day trips. Overnight trips should include both staying in huts and camping.
Terrain must meet the following parameters:
- moderate and hard bush terrain;
- trips can extend above the bush line in summer conditions (without snow and no snow forecast). Patches of old snow may exist and can be crossed where no sliding potential exists. Trips above and below the bush line can be in remote, untracked terrain and the assistance of a rope may be required.
